Windmill.



H. J. CORSON.

WINDMILL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28.1916.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

attornug H. I. CORSON.

WINDMILL. APPLICATION'FILED JUNE 28. l9l6.

1,253,942, Patented Jan. 15,1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

H. J. CORSON..

WINDMILL.

APPLICATIGN FILED JUNE 28, 1916.

Patented J an. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 altozucq HENRY J, consort, or BRIDESVILLE, Bmrrsn COLUMBIA, CANADA,

WINDMILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed'J 1111923, 1916. SerialNoi 106,433:

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY J. CORSQN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bride'sville, in the Province of British Columbia and- Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new" and useful Improve-- ments-in Windmills, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to wmd power devices and more particularly to new and useful improvements in windmills'having. feathering blades.

The primary object of my invention is to provlde a windmill of the class described having an improved and novel arrangement of propelling Wings or blades, the same being adapted to feather when the device is operating.

Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a device of the character described having a governor associated therewith whereby to automatically control the feathering wings during operation of the device where by to control the speed and power tobe derived therefrom.-

A further object of my invention is to in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a windmill embodying the improvements of m invention;

hig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental detail View of the manual controlling means;

Fig. 4-. is an enlarged fragmental sectional view of the automatic governor;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the spring engaging plate;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the power transmitting gearing and Fig. 7 is a similar view of the manual controlling mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate like and corresponding parts throughout the various views, F designates the main supporting frame of my invention,

the same being composed of a plurality of standards l, 2, 3Yand4, arrangedin pyramidalform to support the top platform 5 Transverse and. the bottom platform 6. strengthening beams 7 and 8 serveto connectth'e lower free ends of the standards 1,

Patentd Jan. 15, 1918.. v

2, 3 and4 aswell as support the bottomplatform 6. It is of course tobe u'nderstood that the frame F extends from the ground to. a

comparatively great height to expose the wheel, describedm detail hereinafter to the best advantage.

The windwheel of'my invention includes a rim portion 10 and a hub portion 11, rigid spokes l2 extending'radially from the hub portion to' the rim' portion for insuring'x rigidity of structure. Downwardly extending strengthening braces 13' are provided, said braces being connected at their upper free ends to the plate14 carried by the upper free end of the tubular shaft 15, said shaft being journaled in a roller-bearing 16 mounted in the upper platform 5 and in a ball-bearing 17 carried bythe-lower platform 6. A pulley 18 is arranged on the lower end of the tubular shaft'15, said shaft being solid below said'pulley' and passing through the platform 6, the gearing best shown in Fig. 6 being associated therewith. Said gearing includes a worm 19 carried by the lower free end of the shaft 15, said worm meshing with a worm gear 20 mounted on a transverse shaft 21. A hearing frame 22 is arranged beneath the free end of the shaft 15 for reinforcing the same.

The windwheel is composed of two pairs or sets of wings W and W arranged radially of the wheel and loosely arranged in sets on shafts 23 and 24:, said wings being of various sizes, the wings W being in the present instance smaller than the wings W. In View of this the shafts 23 are provided with crank portions 25 engaging the rear faces of the wings W, and the shafts 24 are provided with crank portions 26 engaging with the rear faces of the wings W. The

sets of wings are pivotally mounted on their portions 27 and 28 on their inner ends," said crank portions being connected by means of.

sets of links 29 and 30rto a vertically slidable plate 31, said plate being best shown'in Fig. 5 and acting upon a coil spring 32. ar-

ranged about the upper end of the hollow shaft 15. A nut 33 carried by the upper free end of the shaft 15 engages the other end of said spring.

A solid shaft 34 is vertically movable i the hollow shaft 15, the plate 31 being connected to said solid shaft by means of a rivet or the like 35, slots 35 being provided in the shaft 15 to accommodate said rivets during vertical sliding movement. A grooved collar 36 is connected to the shaft 34 by means of a rivet 37, a lever 38 mounted on a pivot 39 carried by the side standards 2 and 3 being provided, said lever having a bifurcated end forming arms 40 for engagement with the grooved collar 36. Slots 41 are provided in the shaft 15 to accommodate the rivet 37. The free end of the lever 38 is provided with a rope or cable 42 for actuating the lever from the ground, whereby to move the collar 36 vertically on the shaft 15, this movement in turn reciprocating the plate 31 against the tension of the spring 32 to rotate the sets of shafts 23 and 24, thereby swinging the crank portions 25 and 26 of said shafts out of engagement with their respective wings to permit the wings to swing upwardly under the action of the wind and feather, causing the wheels to cease revolvmg.

I provide an automatic governor composed of a bracket 44 rigidly mounted on the shaft 15 and having a pair of bell crank levers 45 and 46 pivotally mounted thereon. Weights 47 and 48 are carried by the free ends of the bell crank levers 45 and 46 and the inner free ends of the bell crank levers engage the lower free end of the shaft 34, slots 49 being provided in the hollow shaft 15 for accommodation of said bell crank levers. It will be seen that when the shaft 15 is rapidly revolving the balls 47 and 48 will be swung outwardly causing the shaft 34 to be raised. This action will be equivalent to the movement of the lever 38 and will permit the Wings IV and IV to be feathered, reducing or regulating the speed of the wheel.

It will be seen that by loosely mounting the wings W and W on their respective shafts retrograde movement of the wheel when the wind changes is impossible, in view of the fact that the wings will feather before the breeze. However, regardless of the direction from which the wind should blow my improved wheel will continue to rotate in one direction, in view of the fact that when one of the blades is not engaged by the wind others of the blades are engaged thereby. Those blades or wings revolving toward the wind when the wheel is in operation automatically swing upwardly and feather themselves to the wind thereby reducing to a minimum air friction. I desire to lay particular stress upon the improved arrangement of the crank shafts 23 and 24,

this arrangement of the shafts permitting not only the feathering of the blades but also permitting a full control, of the wheel when not in use. The blades or wings are tapering in configuration so that when the same feather a disk is formed.

From the above description taken incon i7 nection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of my invention may be had,

and while I have shown and described the device as embodying a specific structure, I desire that it .be understood that such changes may be made in said structure as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A windmill of theclass described iincludingj a. frame, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted therein, a wheel carried adjacent the upper end of said .shaft, radially disposed rotatably mounted spokes on said wheel, alternate spokes being provided with upwardly and downwardly projecting off set portions, wings having their upper edges" pivotally connected with said spokes, cranks p 1 carried by the inner ends of said spokes, spring tension slidable means on the shaft connected with the cranks for normally holding the wings in operative position, said means being operable either manually or automatically to move the wings, out of operative engagement by movement of the cranks.

25A windmill of the class described including a frame, a vertically disposed tubu- I lar shaft journaled therein, a second shaft slidable vertically in said first mentioned shaft, a wheel on the tubular shaft adjacent its upper end, radially disposed rotatably; mounted spokes on-said wheel, the alternate spokes having upwardly and downwardly projecting off-set portions, wings having their upper edges pivotally connected with said spokes, cranks carried by the inner ends of said spokes, a plate rigidly secured to the inner shaft and slidable on the outer shaft disposed above said cranks, links connecting said plate with the cranks, spring means associated with the plate to normally hold the wings in operative position, and means to move the inner shaft whereby the wings are tatably mounted in said bearings, alternate on the plate to normally hold the wings in spokes being provided with upwardly and operative position, and manually and autodownwardly projecting off-set portions, matically controlled means associated with wings having their upper edges pivotally the inner shaft to move vertically, whereby connected with said spokes, cranks on the the wings are adapted to be swung out of inner ends of the spokes, a plate rigidly seoperative position. cured to the inner shaft and slidable on the In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature outer shaft, a plurality of links connecting hereto.

each crank with the plate, a coiled spring surrounding the tubular shaft and bearing HENRY J. CORSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

